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After reading a few quick items in he sports pages this morning I’m not sure how much extra insight I’m going to bring to the table regarding the PACKERS win over the COLTS Friday night, but here goes…

What more can a coaching staff hope for in the Pre-Season than a game that goes right down to the wire and requires back-ups and rookies to secure a victory in the clutch? How psychologically rewarding is it for MASON CROSBY to redeem himself from an earlier FG miss with a clutch game-winning kick in the final minute?

I would say I saw two negatives that I am sure MIKE McCARTHY and his staff will be concentrating on in the next two weeks. The first team offense was plagued by some untimely (not that there is any such thing as timely) penalties that hampered several scoring drives. The OL was a bit less than stellar in protecting AARON RODGERS from the COLTS pass-rush… in particular DWIGHT FREENEY.  Read more... (1426 words + 1 image, estimated 5:42 mins reading time)

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I was on the air with CHAD HOLMES @ ESPN Radio 100.5 in Wausau last night and he brought up a plethora of PACKERS questions for discussion. Since there is no posting of the show to send you to I thought I’d summarize some of our topics that might be of interest to PACKERS fans.

We discussed the lack of off-season OTAs and such this year, and whether or not it hurts the PACKERS, or gives them a slight advantage as an experienced, defending Super BOwl squad. Other than teams with new coaching staffs I think the PACKERS as a team will be hurt by the 4+ months of no contact. I say that primarily because under the TED THOMPSON regime this team relies of developing younger players to develop into starters.

Any time they lost that could have spent working with young guys like NICK McDONALD, FRANK ZOMBO, MARSHALL NEWHOUSE, JAMES STARKS, et al (not to mention their Rookies) can’t be regained. And progress lost, though hard to gauge, is a consequence of the Lockout. If the team should suffer through an injury plagued campaign such as last year, then time not spent developing these back-ups could be felt on the field of play.  Read more... (1167 words + 1 image, estimated 4:40 mins reading time)

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Ted Thompson on the prowl...

It happens every Summer when Training Camp rolls around in Green Bay, at least under the TED THOMPSON’S regime. Some familiar veteran names show up as ‘cuts’ from the PACKERS roster as the team gets under way preparing for the upcoming season both financially & athletically. It may be less frustrating to deal with this year than most because the team has the Lombardi Trophy on display within the bowels of Lambeau. But once again a rather long list of vet players will no longer wear the Green-and-Gold.

Let me remind you who is MIA as the team prepares for its first Pre-Season game.

NICK BARNETT/ILB     BILLS    Too much $ already being paid to HAWK/BISHOP inside.

ATARI BIGBY/S    Once he got his big contract he’s been fighting HARRELL for hot tub time too often.

BRANDON CHILLAR/LB    Was coming back to team until he hurt his leg (again) in offseason.

DARYN COLLEDGE/LG  CARDINALS    Never completely satisfied coaches with inconsistent play. Too expensive.

KOREY HALL/FB/ST   SAINTS       Pure Special Teamers get too expensive after a few years.

JUSTIN HARRELL/DE     The king of the training room was never available.  Read more... (889 words + 1 image, estimated 3:33 mins reading time)

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Sam Shields - An Undrafted Free Agent Gem

After our look yesterday at NFL rookie free agents on offense, Let’s hop on over to the other side of the ball and give you ten defenders to look at as the Undrafted Free Agent market gets ready to kick-off.

MARTIN PARKER/DT/RICHMOND/6’2/300

There is no logical reason to explain PARKER’s availability right now. he had a stellar senior season on a good team. He has decent size and athleticism for the NFL game. He showed very well at SHRINE Week, actually capturing the Defensive MVP award for the game. He showed well at the COMBINE running a 5.03/40 which was 10th best at the DT position. He is, at the least, a good candidate for a 4-3 scheme DL rotation. He was the only player in my TOP 100 list, not to be Drafted in April. He may be limited and unlikely to ever get to a Pro Bowl, but he looks the part of a DL rotation player at the pro level.

   Read more... (1422 words + 1 image, estimated 5:41 mins reading time)

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World Champion Packers and Other NFL Teams Will be Eying these Rookie Free Agents

In anticipation of a new CBA being in place by the end of this week, I wanted to give you all a reminder of some good players who never heard their name called in the April NFL DRAFT. Much of the attention in the next couple of weeks will be on Veteran free Agent signings, as 1/4 of the league’s players are eligible to sign wherever they can find work offers. But for a lot of teams like the PACKERS, STEELERS, BENGALS, etc. the search will be on for a few good men who probably should have been drafted, and will scratch out an NFL career the hard way.

If you doubt the effectiveness of finding good players through this process please remember that the Super Bowl champion PACKERS were starting 2 such rookies at the end of last season in SAM SHIELDS & FRANK ZOMBO. A little luck, some patience, good coaching & skilled eyes in the Personnel Dept. can bring good value to an NFL roster at very little initial cost. And it appears that there will indeed be a Salary Cap to struggle with in the new CBA.  Read more... (1696 words + 1 image, estimated 6:47 mins reading time)

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From our friend Pigskin Paul, who has been studying the NFL Draft since before you were born (well, most of you, anyway), here is a full seven-round 2011 NFL mock draft for the Green Bay Packers:

2011 PACKERS MOCK DRAFT

Not to bore you with detailed minutia, but here is roughly how it works. I use the PIGSKIN PAUL Regardless List and scan the 10-12 players closest to each PACKERS Pick slot. Then I select the player that seems the best fit for the PACKERS schemes and style of play. And away we go…

PICK 32/R1 MUHAMMED WILKERSON /DE/TEMPLE/6’5/310   Freakishly athletic DL who can play anywhere but the nose, in any scheme. He is a bit raw, but the PACK has a staff that can ‘coach-up’ players. He should be able to contribute right away, and has great upside. He could be the defensive version of JERMICHAEL FINLEY/TE. If he really is available to them then WHITEY might not look to trade out of Round 1.Great value selection, as well as a need with unlikely return of JENKINS or JOLLY.  Read more... (945 words + 1 image, estimated 3:47 mins reading time)

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Here are some various thoughts, observations and projections for late April based on my football intuition, a couple tidbits of “insider” information and a whole big dose of PIGSKIN PAUL logic.

Complain all you want PACKERS faithful, but I think a 4th Round Compensatory Pick @ No. 131 is fair compensation for the loss of AARON KAMPMAN. Had he stayed healthy and put up double-digit sack numbers in Jax then they might have gotten a 3rd Rounder. But this slot is right in the TED THOMPSON wheelhouse and I would expect the odds to be high that he will be able to find a very useful player for the 2011 roster with said Pick.

For a team that has had issues for over a decade with their Return Game the recent rules change that moves the kick-off spot back up 5 yards allows the PACK to put a little less emphasis on filling that need (especially on KR) in the DRAFT. And at least until cold weather hits Green Bay in mid-November it should allow MASON CROSBY to significantly improve his touchback numbers. So perhaps the defending Super Bowl Champs now have one less urgent need to fill with a Rookie prospect.  Read more... (1440 words + 1 image, estimated 5:46 mins reading time)

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